Week 8: 12 Days Until Christmas

The best place to be for Christmas, like anywhere in the world, is gathered with your friends and family. Since our friends and family aren’t able to visit us to experience the Austrian Christmas season, we’ll share a few Austrian traditions with you here—and they’re not too different than traditions back home.

Cookies — It’s not a surprise Austrians are big fans of cookies and pastries. Grocery stores have entire aisles dedicated to these yummy treats and bakeries are on every corner like Walgreens are back home. During the holidays, the most popular Christmas cookie is called Vanillekipferl (vanilla cresent cookie). If you want to feel like you’re celebrating with us this year, try baking these Austrian cookies. We plan to make some this week.

Christmas Markets — Every town across Austria has its own Christmas market where you enjoy warm drinks, eat sweet treats (of course) and purchase handmade goods. This year will look a little different because of Covid. Most markets are closed, so we probably won’t get to experience them this year, but here are a few photos of what some of the markets in big towns around us looked like in past years.

Wreaths — No Austrian home is seen without a wreath. The wreaths are made from fir branches with ribbons and candles. It is tradition that on every Advent Sunday you sit together with your family and friends, to light the next candle and to sing advent songs. Eric and I won’t be singing songs alone, but we turn the holiday music up loud for all to hear if they’re walking by.

And of course, the tree — The Christmas tree has an important role in the festive season. Every town sets up its own huge tree on the main square. Most families choose to have a real fir tree, and not a plastic one, and decorate it tastefully with gold, silver and wooden ornaments – as well as real candles which of course when lit are never left unattended. If you know me, you know what I look for in a house is the perfect place for a Christmas tree. If I can’t imagine what a house looks like at Christmas time, it’s not the house for us. Now that we have our tree up, it makes our house feel even more like home.

xoxo
The Pack Mama